Evaluating the measurement properties of patient‐reported outcome measures in radiotherapy‐induced xerostomia

Abstract

Xerostomia is a common permanent adverse effect of radiotherapy to the head and neck. Radiotherapy-induced xerostomia (RIX) in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors can affect speech and eating, cause persistent discomfort and increase the risk of infections and dental disease, with consequent negative impact upon the quality of life (QoL) of affected individuals (Fang, Liu, Tang, Wang, & Ko, 2004;Jensen, Bonde Jensen, & Grau, 2006). Measurement of RIX includes the subjective assessment of the severity of dry mouth symptoms, as well as the QoL of affected individuals, via patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) (Ringash et al., 2015). In order for clinicians to be reassured that a PROM can adequately measure the symptom of interest, validation studies should be performed and its measurement properties should be assessed (Mokkink et al., 2018). According to the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN), assessment of the measurement properties of PROMs should include their reliability,

Associations between patient-reported late effects and systemic cytokines in long-term survivors of head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy

“…In addition, the choice of the EORTC QLQ-H&N35 single-item scale to measure dry mouth might be questioned, as single items are known to be less robust than multi-item scales [78]. Hence, other questionnaires such as Xerostomia Questionnaire, Groningen Radiotherapy-Induced Xerostomia Scale, and Summated Xerostomia Inventory-Dutch version could have provided more robust results [79][80][81]. In 2020, the final year of our study, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic might have imposed a selection bias by causing delays and withdrawals, primarily affecting individuals > 70 years.…”

Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Radiotherapy-Induced Xerostomia: A Review

“…This method can also be used for long-term detection. However, the questionnaires are subjective; therefore, they cannot always reflect the SG function [ 13 , 14 ].…”

“…The Xerostomia Questionnaire, Xerostomia Inventory, Summated Xerostomia Inventory, and visual analog scale are commonly used to evaluate xerostomia, and their effectiveness has been confirmed [ 15 – 18 ]. In addition, the Groningen RT-Induced Xerostomia questionnaire, which was developed in 2010, was used to evaluate the degree of xerostomia and salivary viscosity and is the only tool explicitly developed in the RT-induced xerostomia population [ 14 , 19 ]. The Groningen RT-Induced Xerostomia questionnaire contains 14 items that are measured during the daytime and nighttime, allowing it to distinguish between a patient's xerostomia in different time frames [ 19 ].…”

“…The Groningen RT-Induced Xerostomia questionnaire contains 14 items that are measured during the daytime and nighttime, allowing it to distinguish between a patient's xerostomia in different time frames [ 19 ]. It has good reliability, responsiveness, and criterion validity, but Assas et al found that the construct validity of the questionnaire was indeterminate [ 14 , 19 ]. The Multidisciplinary Salivary Gland Society questionnaire was created in 2021.…”

“…e Xerostomia Questionnaire, Xerostomia Inventory, Summated Xerostomia Inventory, and visual analog scale are commonly used to evaluate xerostomia, and their effectiveness has been confirmed [15][16][17][18]. In addition, the Groningen RT-Induced Xerostomia questionnaire, which was developed in 2010, was used to evaluate the degree of xerostomia and salivary viscosity and is the only tool explicitly developed in the RT-induced xerostomia population [14,19].…”